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Most badass character
Racer from the new Delta Series written by Dalton Fury.
After first reading Plum Island by Nelson Demille with John Corey, I went looking for more books with bad ass characters like Corey. I then found Mitch Rapp and become addicted this this genre. Since then I have read every Rapp book, but one per year wasn't enough. Then I found Brad Thor's books with the Scott Harvath character who is nearly on par with Mitch Rapp. Since then I have found many other great authors with characters and story lines similar to Rapp and Harvath. Here are the other authors and book series with Mitch Rapp like characters in no particular order:Brad Thor: Scott Harvath ex-Navy Seal bad ass (12 books in this series)
Ted Bell: British MI6 hero, Alex Hawk, who is every bit as bad ass as Mitch Rapp, but with a more James Bond type of class and sophistication. Fantastic book series starting with Hawk. (7 books to date in this series)
Alex Berenson: John Wells character series starting with Faithful Spy (6 books to date)
Brad Taylor: Pike Logan character is Delta force, total bad ass. Brad Taylor is ex-Delta Force himself and you can tell in his books which have an incredible realism that could only be written by someone who spent 8 years in special forces. Great books! Series starts with "One Rough Man". (So far only two books in the series with a new one coming in January and another in July.)
Dalton Fury: bad ass Delta Force character is Kolt Raynor. The author Dalton Fury (not his real name) was also a Delta Force commander who was one of the first Americans who entered Afghanistan in the hunt for Bin Laden. His first book is actual a non-fiction book called "The Hunt for Bin Laden" which I highly recommend. In it he tells the amazing true story of the Hunt for Bin Laden in the Tora Bora mountains. His next book, "Black Site, is fiction and is the first in the series with Kolt Raynor. This series also has incredible tactical realism that could only written by someone who is ex-special forces. Outstanding books! (2 fiction books with Kolt Raynor and the one non-fiction)
This post is getting long but I have some more authors which have great Mitch Rapp type characters and allow their books that I highly recommend:
Ben Coes (3 books) with ex-Delta force bad ass, Andreas Dewey. His name sucks ,but great books in the Mitch Rapp genre. Dewey has a more flawed realism. Great books. Start with "Power Down" then "Coup D' eTat", then "The Last Refuge"
Marc Cameron (2 books) total bad ass character, Jericho Quinn with a side kick who is also a bad ass in his own right. Highly recommend these two books. Start with "National Security".
Nelson Demille: John Corey character starting with "Plum Island" then "Lions Game", then "Night Fall", "Wild Fire", "Lion", and "Panther" which is brand new. John Corey starts out more like Bruce Willis' character from Die Hard and less like a special forces or CIA agent such as Mitch Rapp, but bad ass none the less and fantastic books. Plum Island doesn't have Isamic terrorist bad guys, but later the series goes that route in a big way. These books are thrillers and John Corey is also hilarious. Great bad ass character that you also would like to have a beer with.
Mark Greaney: ex-CIA, now assassin for hire, nicked-named the "Grey Man" which is also the title of his first book. Greaney co-authors with Tom Clancy. I've only read this first book. This character might actually take Mitch Rapp. I couldn't put this book down and finished it in a couple days. There are a few other books with this same character but I haven't read them yet.
I'm just about to start Barry Eisler's, "The Rain Man" thanks to this thread. I also plan on reading John Gilstrap.
Here are a few other incredible non-fiction books that I highly recommend that are true story thrillers and with real life heroes. If you like Mitch Rapp and Scott Harvath, you will live these true stories:
"Fearless" by Eric Blehm. This is one of the most inspiring books that I have ever read.
"American Sniper" by Navy Seal Chris Kyle
"No Easy Day" by Seal Team 6 Navy Seal Mark Owen. This is the true story of the Bid Laden killing.
"The Hunt for Bin Laden" by ex-Delta Force commander, Dalton Fury. This is about the hunt for Bin Laden very early in the Afgahn war.
"Lone Survivor" by ex-Navy Seal Marcus Luttrel. Another amazing story of survival. There is a movie coming out next year about this true story. I couldn't put this book down.
This should keep you busy for a while. If I had to rank the top 3 book series that I mentioned with Mitch Rapp like characters where is how I would rank them but even the last in this list is a great book series.
1. Vince Flynn: Mitch Rapp series
2. Brad Thor: Scott Harvath series
3. Ted Bell: Alex Hawk series
All the other series i mentioned are great and on par with my top 3.
Dr. Marion Ford.There's plenty of bad guys but when the giant iguana's and alligators show up, look out.
I love this thread. I had devoured all Mitch Rapp and Jack Reacher Novels and had a void to fill. I just finished the first of the John Rain novels on suggestion here.Along these lines I'd like to profer Richard "Demo Dick" Marcinko, author and main character of the Rogue Warrior series as a legitimate and real-life bad-ass. The rogue warrior books (with the exception of the very first which was an autobiography) were for the most part fun engaging reads made all the more tickling by his colorful style of sailor-talk.
I joined to get some recommendations because I love the theme of this group, and I have gotten a lot of them! Thanks! Keep them coming!
x2 what Larry writes about Dr. Marion Ford. While Doc Ford may lack a bit of the non-stop intensity, it's just a bit AND after reading Hunter's Moon and Night Vision, I sat back and realized that I was now putting Randy Wayne White in the same boat as many of the above mentioned authors. Give RWW's books and characters a whirl. Do Ford's a badass every bit as nasty as the characters above, he has a flawed but very interesting side kick, and so far he's had great settings.
can't remember if I enthused about Elvis Cole and Joe Pike in a prior thread or not, but......there are a couple of great characters well worth reading. I think Robert Crais does an AWESOME job, starting with one of the coolest names in literature. Elvis Cole. There needs to be more badass characters named Elvis. Every single book of Crais' that I have read has been a start it and finish it in one day because it is too hard to stop reading. Give Elvis Cole and Joe Pike a whirl. Two more badass characters worth your time. At least to me.....
Definitely Mitch Rapp. Who wouldn't want him as your dad, or husband?
Definatley Joe Pike should be on any "greatest badass list."
I've only read a few spy books and i think the top two contenders are Court Gentry (Gray Man) and of course Mitch Rapp. Heres how i think they would fare against each other.HAND TO HAND - Mitch Rapp. After only a few months of mma training he beat stan hurley (an experienced assassin). also its say mitch weighs 195 while it says court only weighs 170 so that is a huge advantage.
FIREARMS - tie. both men have amazing aim with pistols but Rapps seems to be slightly superior but Court makes up for this when we see this skills with a sniper in the first book.
TACTICS - Gray Man. Court was leading swat teams when he was 16 and worked with the goon squad for several years. meanwhile Rapp knows basic tatics but usually works alone.
ABILITY TO SURVIVE - Gray Man. Although Rapp is more than capable of taking care of himself and almost never needs help from the cia, Court Gentry is a Ghost. The cia and many other people have been looking for him for years but because he has no ties with anyone he continues to evade them.
Flaws:
Mitch - Attachment. Mitch allows him to get attach to people which become liabilities, such as his wife who died.
Gray Man - Despite my personal belief that this was crappy writing, in the second book "On Target" Court becomes addicted with drugs and emotionally unstable making him less effective.
OVERALL - Although both have their flaws Mitch Rapp is more of a badass character, but Court Gentry pulls off unreal feats such as surviving 50 badass mercenaries and taking down a cartel by himself.
Great list! Although only two mentions for Clancy's John Clark? Without Remorse has to be one of the best bad-ass character representations ever.I hope one of the characters I've created makes it into a thread like this some day.
I agree Leland. John Clark is awesome. Not read the latest Clancy thriller with Clark on the run, but I'm going to sometime soon.
Out of the three it would probably be Mitch, he never fails and always gets rid of his enemies in a satisfying manner. John Clark during Without Remorse and Debt of Honour was also fantastic. Tom Cain's Samuel Carver deserves an honourable mention. He's a modern version of Fredrick Forsyth's "The Jackal" who is skilled enough to find creative and untraceable "Solutions" to "problems"
Samuel... If you haven't already try Barry Eislers John Rain series.... First book originally published as Rain fall... But I believe they have been re-published under new titles. Google Barry Eisler he has a great website and Facebook page. I'd recommend them. I was deeply into Clancy and was getting a little tired of them...and decided to pick up Rain Fall. Was very impressed and then went on to read the rest of the series and then the new ones that came out. I'm also a huge fan of Stephen Leathers Dan "spider" Shepherd. Not the usual lone hero like Jack Reacher but he gets the job done and the plots move quick and work well. Anyhoo... Just my 2 pence worth.
I've read all 3 series (a couple of times a couple of ways) and my order has to be:Mitch Rapp - Vince Flynn
Scott Harvath - Brad Thor
John Rain - Barry Eisler
let's be honest though, no one brings them to life better than George Guidall on Audio Book. I've read them both ways (print & audio) and George's voice just hits home.
Mitch rapp by far there is just something about him that makes him the best
I haven't experienced as many authors as the majority of people in this thread, but #1 depends on my mood.#1 is generally Mitch Rapp, unless I'm on vacation somewhere very slow paced, then I find myself gravitating towards John Clark:
I prefer John Clark if I want character depth and somewhat introspective moral / ethical internal struggles.
I prefer Mitch Rapp when I want the action and excitement of a demigod like character who will destroy everything with extreme prejudice and minimal internal conflict.
#2
I like Nathan McBride (Andrew Peterson) for a balance between the two, although I have to sacrifice a large portion of the plot and character depth from Flynn or Clancy.
A distant #3:
Jack Reacher only makes the list due to the narrowly focused topic and lack of options. My issue is the limit of my ability to suspend reality. If Reacher was from some fictitious elite military unit, I think I could handle it, but I can't get over the MP background. Reading justifications for Reacher's capabilities is like watching a cheesy action movie that you were in awe of as a child, but seems laughable from an adult perspective. However, if that doesn't bother you as it does me, then Reacher may be a solid choice.
I concur with Terri concerning the Bob Leee Swagger books. There are several and they are all good, but especially the 1st 3. And I love (LOVE) the 3 books about Bob Lee's father, Earl. A kick butt and take names type of character. My favorite book with Earl is:
.
Besides Earl or Bob Lee Swagger, check out Gunnery Sergeant Kyle Swanson for a bad-ass character. He is featured in several books like:
(2nd book) and
(1st book).
featurs a very good bad ass kick butt character named Dan Shepherd (Spider). Retired SAS operator now turned uncover policeman.....He GETS the job done! There are at least 9 Spider Shepherd thrillers out there. I have read 3 of them and plan to tackle the rest.
Somebody stop me: How about Bishop from the PRIMAL series of books, like:
&
.
David wrote: "And so on:Repairman Jack:
and 
"Okay, I'm prejudiced, and I'm a David, too, but I still think my Richard Paladin character is a bigger bad ass than any of these guys.
David wrote: "David wrote: "And so on:Repairman Jack:
and "Okay, I'm prejudiced, and I'm a David, too, but I still think my Rich..."
******
So David, which books feature your "badass" favorite "Richard Paladin"?
David wrote: "David wrote: "David wrote: "And so on:Repairman Jack:
and "Okay, I'm prejudiced, and I'm a David, too, but I still..."
I don't want to spam this thread any more than I already have. Click my photo and my profile page will take you to my three Paladin books. ;-)
Do you know who is the President of the Repairman Jack Fan Club? Stephen King....yeah, that Stephen King.
David wrote: "David wrote: "David wrote: "David wrote: "And so on:Repairman Jack:
and "Okay, I'm prejudiced, and I'm a David, to..."
***
Tell you what David, I'll give your character a shot.....I'll check out
next month for my August KOLL at Amazon. Looks like it might be something I would like.Currently I am reading
and
.
David wrote: "David wrote: "David wrote: "David wrote: "David wrote: "And so on:Repairman Jack:
and "Okay, I'm prejudiced, and I..."
Thanks. KOLL is great. And I'll be interested in what you think, good or bad!
Spencer books by Robert Parker. I put him in a clever Harry Bosch category. I've about given up on Jack Reacher - hard to continue after the midget Tom Cruise got the roll. I'd like to think of badass characters as being able to beat me up but I could take TC without getting out of my chair. I know - book/movie - not the same. Still... the image won't go away and I'm still ticked at Child for selling out.
I can't believe Remo Williams isn't on this list.
Andreea Dewey in Ben Coes latest book "Eye for an Eye".
How about Will Robie? He doesn't back down from anything or anybody.
Richard wrote: "How about Will Robie? He doesn't back down from anything or anybody."***
Good choice Richard. I just finished reading The Hit. I'll try The Innocent real soon.
Popular choice, John rain he's a no nonsense killing machine. Most recent addition is joe ledger from the Maberry books. Kind of a cross genre series but has a serious covert edge, and kinda funny to boot.
Mitch rapp is the most traditional killer, Gabriel Allon doesn't have the mean streak necessary to be in his class.
Colin wrote: "Popular choice, John rain he's a no nonsense killing machine. Most recent addition is joe ledger from the Maberry books. Kind of a cross genre series but has a serious covert edge, and kinda funn..."
***
I have been a Joe Ledger fan for years now. X-Flies + "24" = Patient Zero with Joe Ledger.
Okay, it is a new month, so my KOLL selection for August is:
by David E. Manuel. I'll start this book this weekend, as soon as I knock out an episode of WhiteSpace:
.
David wrote: "David wrote: "And so on:Repairman Jack:
and "Okay, I'm prejudiced, and I'm a David, too, but I still think my Rich..."
********
David, I did indeed read the 1st Richard Paladin book this past week:
.In my 3-star review I wrote that Paladin came across as a poor man's John Rain or Will Robie (or heck, even Matt Helm). He was very crude and not as sophisticated or anywhere near the level of the badasses that others have listed such as Mitch Rapp, Dirk Pitt, Philip Mercer, Scott Harvath, Repairman Jack, Joe Ledger, Jason Bourne, Bishop, Dan Shepherd, Earl or Bob Lee Swagger, just to name a few. He has a ways to go before he can get into the BADASS Club. Maybe he can get a job as the doorman.
David wrote: "David wrote: "David wrote: "And so on:Repairman Jack:
and "Okay, I'm prejudiced, and I'm a David, too, but I still..."
Thank you for taking the time to read my book. I'm sorry you didn't like it.
Regards,
Another David
I have to agree with those who added Berenson's John Wells character to this list. He's a little more complicated than most of our other heroes, but that's what I like about him.
Pike Logan and Jennifer Cahill from The Taskforce Series by Brad Taylor. He's highly ruthless but becomes much more sophisticated than your typical knuckle-dragger anti-hero while she's the brains of their partnership, but learns how to kill a man without breaking down into a blubbering mess. 
I literally google searched "mitch rapp badass type character" and found this. So nice to know like minded folks are out there. Here's my list:(The 4 "R's" as I like to call them)
Rapp
Rain
Ryan
Reacher
then
Norseman (Harvath)
Clark
Allon
And one that is curiously missing from everyone's list, James (shaken not stirred, leave your panties at the door, escape from anything) Bond. Listening to the new one that just came out, Solo.
I thought I was at the end of material with these types of characters and I'm happy to be wrong. Just scratched the surface it seems and have been missing out. Thank you everyone for sharing, you have given me enough material to keep busy for long while.
Here's a trivia question for everyone. (be a sport and don't google it unless your really stumped)
What is John Clarks real name?
1. Mitch Rapp, 2. Scott Harvath, 3. Kolt Raynor 4. Court Genrty!
Hi,I agree Bob Lee Swagger is my favorite 'badass'. Not so much because of his formidable capabilities but because of the way Hunter takes what with most other authors would be a two-dimensional character and makes him someone you can sympathise with and understand.
Other good bad-asses:
Joe Pike
John Rain
Hawk from the Spenser series
Reacher of course
regards
David
Is everyone's name David? Sorry off topic, just an observation.
Good observation, though. Even more off-topic, I just finished 'Legends' by Robert Littell ('The American LeCarre') and thought it was a good read. Not an action thriller as such, more cerebral but an interesting variation on the Bourne idea of fabricated identities.
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In the who beats who debate, it's Rain hands down.
First, Rain is a killer. He doesn't fight fair, he just finishes fast. If you argue he's not well rounded enough, you haven't paid attention. He was a boxer and studied muay tai. Even if it mattered, all the best fighters have a jujitsu or wrestling background anyhow.
What matters is the objective. Rain's a borderline sociopath, a killer with a life time of experience, and true ninja without the shitty hand to hand of ninjitsu. He's on your neck before you know your in a fight. Rapp is a solider with a sense of honor, he's Rain 10-20 years ago. Reacher's a big tough cop and a shooter, not much serious hand to hand training, regardless of size, he looses that fight.
I've read all the Bourne books also. Maybe he'd win, IDK. Bourne's million dollar pedigree makes him an unrealistic character.